Brave
by cecilia.clare
Summary: Jack visits Crutchie in the refuge


**You might want to read Refuge before this, just for a little background info**

Jack promised himself he would never return. To this cursed place, where only hurt, and pain lived. He climbed up the rusting fire escape, to a small window. The whole place reeked of rat droppings, mold, and dust. He poked his head through the window to see the place that only lived in his nightmares. The old plaster walls with mold slowly crawling up them. The dark room was lit by only a single candle, sending the flickering light cascading down the walls giving everything an eerie glow. He climbed in onto the smashed together beds. He climbed down and peered into the darkness looking for Crutchie. He spotted his crutch on the other side of the room and tiptoed over. He scanned a couple of beds to see a few small boys curled up together under the worn blanket. Finally, he spotted Crutchie laying flat on his back peacefully asleep, next to his bed was a blond-haired boy, he was awake and worriedly watching Crutchie breathing in and out. Like somehow every time he breathed out he wouldn't take another one in. Jack crept closer, to have the boy spot him. He scooted closer to Crutchie and put his arms out as if to say, stay away. Jack held up his hands, and then slowly reached his hand into his pocket and pulled Crutchie's note. He slid it on the floor over to the boy and then put both hands above his head. The boy crept slowly keeping his eyes on Jack the whole time, he quickly snatched up the note and quickly skimmed it. He grabbed and pencil and wrote something on the back of the note and slid it back over to Jack.

Are you Jack? He quickly nodded his head, the boy climbed up to the top bunk and Jack hurriedly ran over to Crutchie. He looked down at his brother's peacefully sleeping face. It still was covered in the pain he was feeling before he fell asleep. Crutchie was white as a ghost, he was still covered in blood. His black eye stood out on his pale face like a moon on a starless night. He gently tapped his shoulder,

"Crutchie, Crutchie." He slowly opened his eyes groaning,

"Eddie, what is it." he looked up and saw a strange face and pulled his body away,

"Who are you?" he whispered terrified.

"Crutch, it's me Jack." he peeked his face out looking curiously up at him,

"Jack? Is it really you?"

"Yeah, Crutchie it's me." Crutchie tried to wrap his arms around Jack before yelping in pain sending him face first into the bed. The blond haired boy's head peeked out down over the edge of the bed. Crutchie flipped over his face twisting into a grimace.

"I'm fine Eddie, go back to bed." Eddie shot Jack a look and then pulled his head back up.

"Wait, where does it hurt."

"I'm fine really, Jack. I'm perfectly alright." Jack eyed the huge blood spot on his shirt. Crutchie hurriedly tried to cover it up,

"Crutchie let me see."

"No that's old, I think that's from when I fell last year."

"Let me see." Jack gave him a stern look and Crutchie finally surrendered and Jack gently tugged at the shirt pulling it up to reveal a bulging undershirt around his side. Jack looked at Crutchie with a confused look and pulled up the shirt a little bit causing Crutchie to wince. There was a huge wound across his abdomen. It was bloody and there was huge bruise surrounding it. The very sight of it made Jack almost throw up.

"Did the Snyder do this to you?" Crutchie nodded his head, his face twisted in pain. Jack lowered the makeshift bandage back down and then pulled Crutchie's shirt back down.

"Where else does it hurt?"

"Sheesh you're turning into Eddie." he muttered, "I'm fine Jack."

"You don't seem fine."

"I have only been here for a like a day. I'm still healing. Now you better go, you have a strike to run."

"I'm shutting down the strike. I can't let anyone else get hurt like you."

"You can't do that."

"I can actually."

"I guess you aren't really Jack or my brother." those words stung, "The Jack I know wouldn't give up. He would keep going, he's not a coward, he's not a quitter." Jack looked down at Crutchie, his words stung but he knew Crutchie was right.

"Bye Crutchie," he whispered,

"Bye Jack." He climbed back over to the window and watched as Eddie hurriedly climbed back down by Crutchie. He could hear their murmuring fill the room, he took one last look at Crutchie before climbing out the window. Jack knew Crutchie was right, that he needed to keep going. Keep pushing, and fighting, till he won.


End file.
